Sky set to slash 1,000 jobs including a "significant" number of engineers as firm prioritises streaming services

30 January 2024, 16:16 | Updated: 30 January 2024, 16:26

By Henry Riley

@HenryRiley1

LBC can disclose that Sky UK is set to cut its workforce by around four per cent as it prepares to make 1,000 employees redundant - mostly engineers.

Sky, which is owned by Comcast, informed employees today during a call with the ‘operations team’, in which staff were told that a consultation period regarding redundancy would shortly begin.

One unnamed engineer told LBC “no one informed us of what was going on… the way we have been treated is unacceptable”.

The shift is being described by Sky insiders as a ‘strategic shift’ rather than job cuts as a result of market pressure, with the move coming as a result of streaming service popularity, which the corporation say better meets the needs of their customers.

Read More: Channel 4 warns staff of job cuts amid shift from TV to streaming

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Sky say that the majority of their new TV customers are choosing products such as Sky Glass and Sky Stream over IP (Internet Protocol) television. Sky Glass was the best selling television in the UK in 2023.

But the news will see significant changes and job loses at the company.

The news will mean that Sky expects to see 1,000 job loses this year - with that process starting earlier today - a “significant proportion” of the cuts will be from engineering teams.

Sources insist the decision has not been taken lightly and will involve a thorough consultation period where people will have the opportunity to discuss the proposals before a final decision is made.

The news comes just days after Channel 4 confirmed plans to reduce its staff numbers by 240, its biggest round of layoffs in more than 15 years.

In response a Sky spokesperson said: " “The launch of Sky Glass and Sky Stream represents a shift in our business to deliver TV over IP (an internet connection) rather than satellite. Increasingly, customers are choosing Sky Glass and Sky Stream which don’t require specialist installation, and that has led us to change the number of roles we need to deliver our services.”